SPECIAL OLYMPICS BASKETBALL … Pictured, front row, left to right, are Special Olympics Basketball Coach Angela Luke, Dawson Moore, Ayden Brown, Coebie brown, Kristi Herman and Scott Benedict. Back row, left to right, are Dustin Schlachter, Ben Camarillo, Caleb Turnbull and Debra Opdycke. The Special Olympics Basketball team, which has three players who go to the Bryan Schools, presented the Bryan School Board with a trophy. (PHOTO BY DANIEL COOLEY, STAFF)
By: Daniel Cooley
The Bryan School Board meeting on February 13 began with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by roll call.
All five school board members, Scott Benedict, Ben Camarillo, Debra Opdycke, Dustin Schlatter and Caleb Turnbull, were in attendance.
In the first order of business, the school board approved the previous minutes from both the organizational and regular meetings from January 16.
Next, the Special Olympics basketball team of Williams County met the school board and presented them with a poster. The three boys at the presentation all go to Bryan Schools.
The Special Olympics has two basketball teams and the older team, for ages up to 26, has qualified for the state tournament, to be held in Bowling Green.
Jack Brace, program director for Lifewise, then spoke. Brace said that 340 students, including 13 home schoolers, attend the weekly, half hour meetings.
The students learn various character traits, that include a Bible verse that goes with a particular character trait and they can give prayer requests. The Bryan chapter is for grades 1-5.
Lifewise, in its second year, is privately funded and Brace stated that the first year is all paid for.
Kasey Thormeier, grades 3-5 principal for Bryan City Schools, then gave the elementary school report.
Thormeier stated that the special education unit goes bowling once per week.
The Bryan movie theatre held a free movie night and March 15-18, the elementary school will be holding a “Reading is Sweet” theme.
Grandparents’ day will be March 15 and February 22 is the end of the second trimester.
Middle School Principal Brian Arnold then gave the grades 6-12 report. He said that the middle school students bowl a lot and the middle school students will be going on a Chicago trip.
Also, in a special program, sixth graders got to interview seniors. Also, the schedule for the 2023-24 school year is currently being worked on.
Athletic Director Chad Savage then gave the winter sports report. The girls’ basketball team finished the regular season with an NWOAL title and a 20-2 overall mark.
Also, the seventh grade girls basketball team finished with a 17-1 record and both the boys eighth grade and girls eighth grade basketball teams finished second in the league tournament.
Also, both the boys and girls bowling teams finished third in the league and the swim and dive teams had 10 girls and six boys qualify for districts.
In addition, the wrestling league tournament will be held this weekend and there will be a spring signing day on March 15, at 2:15.
Next, in treasurer’s recommendations, the board approved the amounts and rates determined by the budget commission. This authorizes and certifies tax levies with the county auditor.
Also, the board approved appropriations for a $30,000 increase in transportation and a $16,000 increase for athletic uniforms.
Next, the board approved a $1,500 donation from Grace Cares for negative school lunch balances and a $250 donation from the County Dairy Association, for Family Consumer Science.
Next, the athletic boosters gave a report on their Capital Improvement Project. The needs are for safety upgrades involving stadium lighting, playing surfaces, track replacement and scoreboard replacement.
They also want to improve youth athletics, for softball and baseball fields and soccer fields.
In the Four County report, a career night open house was recently held. In the application process, for incoming juniors, there are 700 applications to process.
Also, a computer design group worked on a project for Ridgeville Corners. In students of the month awards, Bryan’s Riley Brown and Reyner Clemens were selected.
Next, the board approved of the following superintendent’s administrative recommendations: OHSAA 2023-24 membership; eighth grade class trip to Chicago; setting the 2022-23 high school summer school rates at $100 per course and students Lelyn Boothman, Bradley Moser, Taylor Peel, Kendra Reasor, Mikaylah Rhoades, Christian Smetzer and Curtis Priddy, who have completed all the graduation requirements.
The board then approved the following personnel recommendations for salary adjustment for Lauren Garrett, school psychologist internship; for supplemental resignations for Terence Clingaman, varsity girls golf and Samantha Molena, junior high volleyball coach; certified resignations for Tyler Bernath, fourth grade teacher; retirement for Craig Polter, middle school social studies teacher; contingent resignation for Nathan Keel, business teacher, contingent approval of hiring for athletic director; tutor rate assignment for Keel, athletic director, effective January 26; interim administrative contract for Keel, interim athletic director, effective May 31; two year administrative contract, effective August 1, 2023, for Lauren Garrett, school psychologist and Keel, athletic director; new hire certified staff for Scott Staten, middle school social studies teacher; athletic spring supplements; voluntary transfer for Daniel Slagle, to middle school intervention specialist, effective August 1, 2023 and Eric Herman, volunteer for arts and education building technician.
The board then moved into executive session.
For upcoming meetings, there will be a business advisory council meeting on March 1 and a school board meeting on March 13.
Dan can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
